A man in his mid-forties opens the door. The first ready comment anyone could have is that this man indeed does not show his age. And if they knew the one tragedy that casts a shadow on his life, they’d be more surprised; for this auburn haired father with round spectacles still cherises –and misses- the woman that once shared his life. Li Syaoran greets this man in his solemn yet kind manner. - Ohayo gozaimasu, Kinomoto-sama. - Ohayo, Li-kun. Please make yourself comfortable while I call Sakura. - Arigato gozaimasu, Kinomoto-sama. Kinomoto Fujitaka took a long stare at this well-dressed and mannered young man. There was something- different about him. Trouble in the air? No, he seems well in control… - Li-kun? - Yes? Fujitaka walked to his side, and layed a hand on one of the strong shoulders of Syaoran. - Nothing. I’m glad you arrived. With you here it’s more than sure that my little girl shall smile again. My eyes may have widened, I admit. But I was not so surprised. Kinomoto-sama, in my opinion, seems to have an otherwordly wisdom. Steps being lightly pounded by his feet. Knock knock. Murmurs, since I can’t hear what they’re saying, but have a good idea what it is. Heading downstairs, a rather hurried stomp. I turn from my seat at the large sofa and watch my Sakura jump the last step and land right next to the table with a white vase and a photo of her mother. Yeah, right… I’m not supposed to attach to her name a possessive noun. Old habits are hard to break… … yet I dare say she has started with the process herself. By the look on her face, and her hand gesturing that we’d talk outside. Funny, I expected you to come today. I nod. Then I’ll make this quick. And no sooner I spoke she stepped forward. I hand her back the Dream card. She smiles, and turns to make her way upstairs when suddenly she adds, “Syaoran-kun”. Yes? Arigato for everything. I learned so much from you… and I wonder if you could make it tonight to Rika-chan’s house. Tomoyo-chan’s leaving for New York some time next week and I’m making her a farewell party… one last get-together among the best of friends. I could perfectly tell that as she said this her eyes lost a bit of their flickering quality. My hand reached out to one of hers, and held it softly. - Hey, don’t think about what still doesn’t happen. Focus on giving Daidouji-san a good time- AND a nice surprise. Now those emerald jewels were showing how dumbfounded she felt with my comment. She murmured my name and was ready to take her left hand to slip the ring I gave her off her finger. I shook my head back in refusal of her gesture. I kissed her for the last time. Sakura, who for almost a lifetime was my love, the center of my universe. Did you know I dreamed about you back at the same day we captured Yume? I loved you since then, I’ll always love you. Just that my time with you has passed. This ring I gave you- give it to someone else… a child, an old person, a man, or a woman. Who you truly love. Then he walked in his slow, steady manner, out of the door. My eyes were now stinging. Yet the smile did not leave me. And as I watched him leave, I murmured to the wind, to the butterflies, to the flowers… Arigato, Syaoran! ----------------- parenthesis – Art Surpasses Life I murmured to the wind, to the butterflies, to the flowers… Sakura-chan… … for I had no other words while leaning on the windowsill looking outside. Too many things to do yet. And so little time. You could only limit to thinking that while glancing at the piles and piles of tapes, photo albums and canvases she ever embarked on filling since she met her. “And I can’t believe I’m actually devising a way to have them all delivered to me in New York in a month!”. It was anyone’s guess the feelings going through her if they learned she’s been the last few nights without much sleep watching ‘til the first minutes of the dawn the many videos she recorded amid the haze of her existence alongside the spriteful brunette. She’d like to fancy at times she injected all her passion for art with the drug distilling out of everything Kinomoto Sakura did and did not do. Singing, snapping photos, recording video, painting, sketching!! Goddess! No wonder people think I’m a creepy character! Any psychiatrist will have to agree this is obsession! OBSESSION!! She laughed, that petite laugh of hers. People could say whatever they wanted. She never cared enough for what they thought anyways. After all, theirs lives weren’t in any form being touched by the Card Mistress, so they could never understand the discreet magic she worked on those she encountered. For instance, Grandfather never ceased to ask for her; mother, whenever Sakura visits, always manages to step into our activity or conversations, and spend a while in her company; Syaoran returned to Japan just for her… Just for her. And here I am leaving because of her! She fights back the tears, though. When she planned this trip she promised she’d only be away for as long as it took to leave aside her feelings and move on. But now that I’m viewing the tapes, paging the albums, contemplating my oils and sketches- how long will that be? The truth is that I love you, and sooner or later that truth shall kill me! Before I realize what I’ve done, my fingers have pressed “play” on the DVD’s remote control, and there you are, right in front me, smiling, smiling that big, warm smile of yours. And I’m in tears. They’ve gone out, violated my will. I’m losing myself in a nightmare. The emptiness. Like the blackness that follows the recorded portions of a tape. Right after the dream. The dream that means each event reproduced in every item here. My muscles loosen a bit. My dreams. I’ve forgotten about them amid the turmoil of these days. A buzz. A message has reached my cell phone. Okay. Rika’s mailing to invite me over to a reunion she’s holding for Yamazaki-kun’s trip to Boston. He got that scholarship for Harvard. Must’ve told them in that personal essay plenty of high tales… but who wouldn’t? It’s for his future. I’ve told them as well for mine. To her especially. I’ll go, if just to see her one last time along with our old group of friends. Then I’ll just glance at her while at the concert. My eyes in the evening shall be those of a man lost in the desert. Until later this day, I’ll just keep watching my tapes. Perhaps finish the painting. Lose myself in sleep, in art. I’m having an idea to even edit a tape… After that, I’ll begin the process of cutting myself off from these never-meant-to-be dreams. A process, you all must agree, that will take her the rest of her life. A life that’ll sometimes have that bite eased by the sight of the New York skyline. ---------------- parenthesis 2 : Truth On Video and Off It I just hate sounding tragic about it. But this may well be my last chance to do something right in my life. Not that I haven’t done good things… Then again playing as a Master in an RPG doesn’t count at all. Yep, you’ve read right. That’s how I’d sum my role –though Kero says and once even made me believe it was a duty- as a Card Mistress. Just for now, I’m not going any deeper on that matter. Despite some inconveniences, it’s still one of the best things to ever happen to me. - … like my friends here tonight! I’m so glad all of you could make it at a last minute call!-, sighed in relief Kinomoto Sakura. - Are you implying that otherwise you wouldn’t have called us, Kinomoto-san? Yamazaki was piercing her with his skeptical glance. He grinned as he noticed the sweat appearing on the young brunette’s forehead, and knew it was his signal to begin… Have you… have you ever heard of the “Last Minute Party” curse?? Huh?? All the attention the skinny looking dark haired boy could ever wish for was set on him. Yep, after many years, we still listen to every little thing he comes up with! - In ancient Egypt, many festivities existed so there would be celebrations going on every week. But Egyptians were fond as well of finding gods in whatever object or phenomenon they stumbled upon, so this would multiply at least five more times the festivities calendar… He turned to check behind his back. Just in case you-know-who ruins your fun by dragging you out. - … And so it happened that the entire year was full, and no one had work. One day, an apprentice to the high priest of Ra decided to play a prank on everyone by making up a festivity and denounced at the town square the unworthiness of all the people because they failed to please the deity by holding a party,- If there was a better moment to add Yamazaki’s master acting skills, this was one!, since the girls swore he looked identical to that mischievious character. - The townspeople looked at each other in awe and fear, and marched off quickly to prepare the celebrations, all in accordance to the instructions of the young apprentice… - Gods! Strike me down now! This time it was Rika who sweated a bit. Naoko, the girl with round-framed glasses, giggled; and Sakura snapped out of her amazement. Yamazaki was in for it! The line previously heard was delivered in the most exasperated tone ever employed by any human being. The employer was an average height, slim built girl with an odd-colored brown hair with golden highlights, and though normally sweet yet now fiery dark eyes. Her friends say she’s named Chiharu. I’ve checked her student ID and it states the same. Heck! Even her personal papers say that! And that’s the name engraved on the ring she gave me too. Ah jeez! I forgot I engraved mine on the ring she has and that surely is now printed as well at the top of my head! - You deserve that knuckle sandwich! Baka! What would happen if Harvard gets a hold on all the lies you’ve told throughout the years?! I smile and say they’ll just probably send me directly to the Central Intelligence Agency. She sighs in her kawaii defeated look and drags me off to the table. - Well, enough story-telling! – Chiharu grabs a glass and starts pouring a drink. – I bet everyone’s thirsty! All those gathered here tonight scream a joyous hai. I only stay behind a bit to adjust the video camera – I must make sure the settings are perfect… and that I get the hang of this thing just in time! Whew! Never thought Tomoyo-chan surely had to dedicate plenty of time to master these machines! But with all the times she’s chased me with a camera… … She’s running. Running after me… No, that was then… Now, it’s away… away from me. She shakes her head. The doorbell rings. The image must leave if she wants to be in the fullest self-control possible. The door opens. Surprise!!!! It’s us greeting you. It’s you who have walked right through the door, and into the many hugs of the gang. I’m, however, standing a bit apart. Like you do usually when recording. Those eyes of yours are as intense as ever… yet they’re elusive, probably half in wonder why am I handling the camera in this occasion, and half… half… Escaping. You’re out to break me, aren’t you? The party, Yamazaki and the girls showering me with unexpected gifts for my trip, Sakura-chan recording. What is it? No, what I meant- how did they- why is she doing this?! It dawns on me after a while that it was she who engineered this reunion, this get-together before I leave, perhaps forever, to New York. But the awkwardness caused by all the above questions is not as much as strong as my sadness. A while has past. And not a word have we exchanged. She’s not and never will be aware of my suffering at this moment. - Ano, Sakura-chan… - Huh? - The girls and I are wondering why Li-kun isn’t here too. Her emerald eyes, a precious inheritance from her mother, left the image on the display screen of the camera for a few seconds. She looked right back at Naoko-chan, whose brown eyes were posing more than curiosity behind the lens of her lightweight glasses. - Ah! I forgot to tell you guys that Li-kun can’t be here tonight because- - Because he had to look for a disc perfect for Daidouji-san!- shouted a gleeful Meiling as she sprung the door open. The typical whisper of “boy! does she know how to make an entrance!” was well heard in the lips of her companion, who held up in the air the disc in question.- Didn’t think we’d make it for a moment- he added. Their arrival seemed more normal to the others, but certainly not to Tomoyo nor Sakura, although the latter was extremely pleased. Pleased enough to leave the camera and run to greet in a hug both descendants of the mage Clow Reed, and to her the dearest of friends in these past days. I’m glad you’re here, Syaoran… I examine Meiling and am surprised with how little she’s changed- let alone the physical part (still lean yet looking like a fine antique Chinese porcelain figure, with the raven hair still styled in odangos, and her soft reddish brow eyes enmarked by a pair of skeptically lined brows). It’s easy to see that her features tell on the determined, practical girl I once knew. I go over to where they are. Bowing my head, a grateful smile on my lips. Nice way to acknowledge guests. Li-kun gives me this look. He requests we have a talk in a few minutes. I nod in agreement. All without saying a word. Now it’s Meiling and Sakura-chan glaring at the exchange. Syaoran returns the stare, but he accompanies the gesture with handing over to both of them the disc. Play it on the stereo. I’m sure Daidouji-san will be pleased with the first of my gifts to her. He winks as well. We’re now left alone while the rest gather in a curious crescent moon around the bearers of the disc, who are just about to press “play” on the Sony sound system Rika-san owns. - You know, those stairs over there seem to be the most private and comfortable spot in such a wide-spaced home design.- he ventured. - Yes. Lets sit over there and talk, Li-kun. A piano sounding from the stereo. Tomoyo could tell perfectly it belonged to her own sliding fingers, when the band and her were starting. - Like the gift? - I… I must confess I’m a bit dumbfounded. I never expected you to… - … to be a fan of yours, Daidouji-san? Well, truth is my admiration for you didn’t start right away- I liked your performances at the school choir back when we were kids, but never went ga-ga like Sakura did. One might say that aging, physically, mentally and spiritually, has changed my perception. It has not only taught me to appreciate the emotion burning behind your music, but to perceive it as well in your painting and your filming. The day I began to understand all of this, and I must say not only did my appreciation change concerning you but of others too, even my magic made a grand progress… His pause here, not just to take a sip of the drink handed earlier by Chiharu, was a bit longer than usual. - … and you know perfectly that after Sakura made hers all of the Clow Cards I never expected my magical abilities to make a progress at all! I may have been a bit jealous over her all these years despite our love because of her victory at the final Judgment, and somewhat a bit distrustful of others. Yet, she,-and he took a bit of time to glance at the figure of Sakura, who was laughing at a cheap impersonation of a professor made by Yamazaki- she changed all that. Very slowly, almost snail-like, but she did it. Every time she dragged me to your concerts, every time she made me sit through a Hollywood film, every time she had me do the talking whenever we encountered friends or we were making new ones. I owe her much more than I could ever pay her with… - … which is why you’re choosing to fly back to Hong Kong and end your relationship with her. Am I right on this, Li-kun? He wasn’t surprised on her response, nor questioned himself as usual on how could she tell many things without one trying to give too much away. He shook his head and had his hand take one of hers. - Yes, but it’s not the reason you’re implying. It’s not just I who has outgrown her. She has done it as well with me. But I must not say no more on this.- he paused once more, and took a long sip- Talk to her, Daidouji-san, talk to her. The truths that the Dream Card revealed to us back then and now are not just for haunting our hearts. They’re for taking them into our hands and doing the right things in our lives. Tomoyo was now blinking in confusion. Yet I’m fully aware of what he’s saying in these mist-shrouded words. I try to utter something, anything. He stands up and bows. Arigato, Daidouji-san. Please reconsider your decision. Meiling and I wish you the best of luck. Take care, Li-kun, Meiling-san. I watch how they say to all a quick goodbye and promise out loud that they’ll keep in contact. He hugs once again Sakura, and they stay like that for about a minute or two. They both look perfectly at ease. And after they let go, Sakura accompanies them to the door, and shuts it herself once she’s done waving goodbye to the speeding car.
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